The following is a summary of actions taken at the
meeting of the New Jersey State Bar Association Board of Trustees at the New
Jersey Law Center in New Brunswick. This summary does not constitute official
minutes.
New Trustees: The board approved three members to fill
vacancies it had. Susan Nardone, of Gibbons, will fill a vacant
section/committee trustee seat as a representative of the Women in the
Profession Section. Christopher Keating, who works in the Attorney General’s
Office, and Rajeh Saadeh, who has a solo practice in Somerville, will fill
Young Lawyers Division vacancies. They will be sworn in at the January Board of
Trustees meeting.
Mid-Year Meetings: The board approved a contract to hold
the 2019 Mid-Year Meeting at the Condado Vanderbilt Hotel in Puerto Rico from
Nov. 6-10. The trustees also voted to have a site visit in Napa, California, to
scout possible locations and events for the 2020 Mid-Year Meeting.
Amicus activities: The board voted to seek amicus status
in State. v. Patel. The case involves sentencing of enhanced penalties in DUI
matters where a defendant is indigent and not represented by an attorney.
Featured speakers and special events: The New Jersey
Institute for Continuing Legal Education will offer courses featuring special
speakers, thanks to the board’s approval. In January, “The Accidental Lawyer”
will include an interactive ethics workshop, and in March, Dan Small, will be
on-hand to discuss the “10 Rules for Powerful Witness Preparation.”
The trustees also approved a contract with Borgata Hotel,
Casino & Spa, which will be the site of the 2019 Bankruptcy Bench-Bar
Conference on April 4-5, 2019.
Government relations: The trustees voted on several
pending pieces of legislation. They agreed the NJSBA would support:
• A4353,
which requires New Jersey Transit to adopt a nondiscrimination policy and
requires annual training on the policy.
• Amending
N.J.S. 3B:3-9, which would clarify that an electronic will executed under the
law of another state is not validly executed under New Jersey law, if the
testator was not physically present in the state.
